The present invention relates to a 3-dimensional operation input apparatus for operating a GUI (Graphical User Interface), a control apparatus for controlling the GUI in accordance with information transmitted from the input apparatus, a control system including those apparatuses, and a control method.
Pointing devices, particularly a mouse and a touchpad, are used as controllers for GUIs widely used in PCs (Personal Computers). Not just as HIs (Human Interfaces) of PCs as in related art, the GUIs are now starting to be used as an interface for AV equipment and game devices used in living rooms etc. with, for example, televisions as image media. Various input apparatuses that a user is capable of operating 3-dimensionally are proposed as controllers for the GUIs of this type (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-56743 (paragraphs [0030] and [0045], FIG. 2) and Japanese Patent No. 3,748,483 (paragraphs [0098] to [0103], FIGS. 7 and 8), hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, respectively).
Patent Document 1 discloses an input apparatus including angular velocity gyroscopes of two axes, that is, two angular velocity sensors. When a user holds the input apparatus in hand and swings it vertically and laterally, for example, the angular velocity sensors detect angular velocities about two orthogonal axes, and a command signal as positional information of a cursor (pointer) or the like displayed by a display means is generated in accordance with the angular velocities. The command signal is transmitted to a control apparatus, and the control apparatus controls display so that the cursor moves on a screen in response to the command signal.
Patent Document 2 discloses a pen-type input apparatus including three (triaxial) acceleration sensors and three (triaxial) angular velocity sensors (gyro). The pen-type input apparatus executes various operations based on signals obtained by the three acceleration sensors and three angular velocity sensors, to thus calculate and output a positional angle of the pen-type input apparatus. Alternatively, the pen-type input apparatus executes various operations to calculate and output movement amounts at a pen tip of the pen-type input apparatus.